One life to live
by Miss Barbara
Summary: Tim can't stand Abby's presence anymore and he decided to run. What does the future hold for them?
1. Chapter 1

Title: One life to live.  
Characters: Tim, Abby, the rest of the team and some OC's.  
Rating: FR13  
Spoilers: None  
Authors note: Some, I haven't written anything in quite a while but I am happy about how it turned out. Written for the WEE, for Lyss!

Chapter one.

He noticed the roses as soon as he stepped in her lab. It was impossible not to notice them, a big vase in the middle of her desk filled with dozens of black and red roses. He puts on his best smiles and walks to her main computer, ignoring the loud music without any trouble. She knew he was in her lab, she always knew and that made him smile. She jumps in to his arms and he briefly returned the hug, resisting the need to smell her hair. Seeing Abby was the best but usually also the worst part of his day. He wanted to kiss her, make her smile and just generally make her happy. But seeing that she just started talking about her latest date and how great the guy had been he knew that he didn't have a chance. She always told him about her dates with those eccentric men and the occasional woman, it drove him crazy. But that's the thing he realized a long time ago. He had accepted the offer to stay friends after they broke up, part of him hoping that she would change her mind, but she hadn't and now he had to make up stories about dates and somehow he had to keep his sanity.

Every time he felt the need to tell her: 'they don't love you like I love you' but those words could never be spoken. Gibbs knew, he was sure of that, the man knew everything and hardly ever sent him down to the lab anymore, probably seeing the pain in the eyes of his youngest agent. He pried himself out of Abby's hug and was about to ask her if she had any results when Gibbs called him, their suspect had been seen in a shady motel not far from their latest crime scene.

It had been an ambush, and that was the reason that McGee was in the hospital right now. He had been shot in his stomach and some serious damage in his lower intestines. The surgery had gone fine but he was in the hospital for at least 4 more days. Everyone had visited him but right now he was alone as visiting hour was over. That gave him more time to think that he was comfortable with. Abby had visited him and left some of her own 'things' to cheer him up. A small assortment of dolls was staring at him from the window ledge and the person in the bed next to him had been surprised to say at least.

So now he was lying in his bed, alone with a shocking revelation. When he was shot he had felt a blinding pain, he was pretty sure that he was going to die and the only think he could think of was Abby. When Abby came to visit him it was sure that she could only think about the new guy she was dating. He knew that he was trying to avoid the obvious here and made the decision to leave Abby behind, take a step back from their friendship and start dating. So the reminder of his time in the hospital he flirted with every pretty nurse he saw and after a few days he was sure that he could give Tony a run for his money.

He was released five days after he was admitted and had gently ignored Abby's offer to pick him up and bring him home, he had asked Tony for a ride instead.

"Those nurses where pretty sad to see you go." Tony said, surveying the man in the wheelchair he was pushing. "Have you been trying to break their hearts with your shot-federal-agent-rich-writer-guy?'" he asked and Tim knew that he didn't have to answer. Tony could fill entire hours with mindless chatter on his own. "Anyway" he continued "Abby is still dating that new guy and Gibbs is going crazy while he is depending on Ziva and me for the electronic stuff, needless to say, we need you back as soon as possible." Tim gave a chuckle because he knew that they both could hold their own when it came to computers, but he did appreciate the effort.

The trip from the hospital to his apartment only took half an hour but when he finally shuffled in to his apartment he felt like had been sparring with Gibbs for ten solid hours. He sank down on the couch and was very grateful that Tony didn't comment on his appearance, he had seen himself in the mirror, he looked like crap. He heard Tony moving around in his kitchen and a few minutes later a glass of water and a pill was pushed in to his hand, he swallowed them, mindlessly. It still didn't feel real, being shot for the first time in your life was bad enough, but he couldn't help but feel that he had landed in an alternative reality now that he was home again.

"Ziva filled your fridge with boxes, they contain lunch and dinner for at least a week. The kitchen cabinets are stocked and plenty of fresh food. Gibbs or I will pick you up and drive you to your physical therapy four times a week. Ziva will come by every evening to see if you need anything else and you have that fancy nurse coming by for your baths." he smirked. Tim blushes but Tony pats his shoulder. "I understand" he says softly, "now if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to call me, or Ziva or Gibbs. You know, call Gibbs first, the man rarely sleeps."

Tony lifts his hands from McGee's and it may have stayed there a moment too long, but Tim doesn't care, he is still busy figuring out the new rules of this universe. Abby texts him later that day, but he doesn't respond and it kills him. He responds to Abby's text a few hours later, the guilt was eating him alive but she doesn't respond. He pretends that he is not crying as he falls asleep that night.

Two weeks later he is still pale and weak, but he is back at his desk and opens all the get well cards and presents with a grin. He is cleared for 4 hours of work a day and only desk duty but he is happy to be out of his apartment and he takes everything he can get. Gibbs is happy that he is sitting at his desk again and even Tony can't hold a happy smirk back.

He is reading trough the reports his replacement left and humming happily to himself. His day is pretty good so far and as a thank you he is taking everyone out to lunch later. Suddenly the doors fly open and he sees Abby running towards him, her boots making a heavy thumping sound on the floor of the squad room. He knows that she is going to jump on top of him and he braces himself for the no-doubt painful experience. Suddenly Gibbs steps between him and Abby and catches her, calming her down and he holds her until he is sure that she has herself under control.

She lowers herself on his lap and the next ten minutes are filled with questions, hugs and kisses, her own special way of showing that she cares. After those excruciating long minutes where she is so close he can smell her she stands up and skips back to her lab, obviously convinced that he is doing well enough to be back at work. He was distracted for the rest of the day, unable to do his job. But with all the people stopping by his desk and making small talk his day was over soon enough and before he knew it, it was time to leave for the restaurant he had made reservations with.

Tony tells in great detail how annoying the replacement agent was and Ziva makes the occasional comment to convince them that is wasn't as bad as Tony led them to believe. Ducky was reminded of a time long ago when his assistant had been sick and Gibbs just sat there and sipped his water. Tim always wondered if the man drank anything other than coffee and Bourbon and now he had the answer. Before he realized the hour had passed and Gibbs announced that it was time to get back to the office. McGee was torn, he would love to go back with his team but he was exhausted and frankly, sleeping at his desk had never been his favorite thing. He waved for a taxi when Gibbs' familiar car stopped in front of him. He sat down and buckled his seat belt as quick as he could, much to Gibbs delight.

"I will keep you whole." he said with a smirk as he engaged in the traffic with an ease and finesse Tim had never seen before.

"Thanks boss." he says as he stifles a yawn. They don't speak and he is happy with that. Gibbs parks his car in front of his building and Tim is pleasantly surprised when he follows Tim into his apartment. He sits down on the couch and motions for Tim to sit next to him.

"Tim" he says hesitantly "You are one of the best agents I have ever worked with, but whatever is going on between you and Abby has to stop." Tim is opening his mouth and closes it again; he does it a few times before he realizes that he must look like a fish on land. Gibbs says nothing as he goes, leaving Tim with his thoughts.

The rest of the week he was busy catching up on the case they where currently working and fixing every single mistake his replacement had made. There was no time to visit Abby in the lab and he was quite happy about that to be honest. Before even realized it his first week back was done and everyone was satisfied about his first week back. Saturday came around and somewhere in the afternoon he started to freak out about the day he would have that evening with Nancy from human resources. He had always known that she was interested in him and he had used that knowledge to find a date. It might have not been the right thing to do, but he had asked her anyway so there was no turning back now.

He chose his favorite suit and checked his reservation with the restaurant online. Everything seemed fine and there was no reason not to go so he got in his car and drove to her apartment to pick her up. She was pleasant company and it wasn't had to keep up a conversation with her, they talked about their taste in movies, music, art and whatever else cropped up . It was nice and he realized that he had missed dating, a certain kind of intimacy with a person that had only eyes for you at that moment.

At the end of the evening he brought her home and standing in front of her door he had no idea what to do. He had loved the time they had spenttogether but at the same time his mind kept screaming that she wasn't Abby and therefore not good enough. She seemed to know as she kissed his cheek after saying her goodbye and left him standing outside with his misery.

It was almost eleven on a Saturday evening but McGee knew the one door that would be always open for him and Gibbs didn't seem really surprised when he sat on one of the steps leading to his basement.

"That bad huh?" he said while he continued to work at the boat. He wants to tell Gibbs everything, how he still loves her, and how none of the other people will be ever good enough for her but he doesn't. Gibbs knows so he accepts the beer Gibbs offers, and with that beer also a night in Gibbs' guestroom because there is no way that he is going to drive home while he had alcohol and painkillers.

He watched in silence as the sander went up and down the boat, the motions not only soothing his nerves but also helping him making up his mind. It is far past midnight as Gibbs puts the sander on his workbench and walks over to McGee, probably sending him to bed. McGee opens his mouth and is surprised by the words and thoughts that roll out.

"I am going to ask for relocation."

His eyes widen in shock as he realizes that it is something he wants, making a new start and he stands up, willing to run away but his body betrays him, which leaves him shivering with weak knees. Gibbs pushes him up the stairs in to the guestroom and tucks him in. It is a surprising loving gesture from a man who never really displays affection towards him and it makes him feel safe.

"If there is anything, you call me." Gibbs says "Anything at all, even if you just want to talk." he repeats before leaving Tim behind, not completely closing the door. He hears Gibbs enter the basement again and he drifts off with the soothing sound of woodworking in his ears.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

It took Tim some time to wake up and realize where he was. At first he thought that it was one of those awkward one night stands where you wake up and don't know who your partner is even though you are in their house, but it doesn't take him too long before he realizes where he is. The bed is comfortable and the room contains all the basics, a beautiful oak dresser and a chair. The room isn't decorated, pictures are removed from the wall and a darker spot is left on the wallpaper. He yawns and stretches while inhaling the smell of very strong coffee. He knows that the longer he stays in this bed the harder the conversation is going to be, so he climbs out of bed, collecting his shoes and jacket from the chair. His clothes are rumpled and his hair is sticking up but it has to do for this moment. He is on his way down as she spots a bathroom. He steps in and tries to ignore the feeling that he is invading Gibbs' personal space, but much to his surprise he sees a lot of Tony's products, his hair gel, crazy expensive shaving cream and that weird white herbal toothpaste of his. He takes a gulp of the mouth wash, it tastes not bad and he hopes that it at least masks his morning breath. He holds his hands under the tap and attacks his hair with his wet fingers. It's still far from ideal but at least he looks better now.

He goes down the stairs and with every step he takes the smell of coffee becomes stronger. He feels himself flush as he walks in to the kitchen and he feels worse than after sneaking out after a one night stand, but Gibbs just sits at his table, sipping his coffee and reading the paper. He doesn't look up from the paper as he motions towards the cup next to the coffee machine. He also finds some sugar and milk which he really needs considering the strength of Gibbs coffee. He sits down at the table and after a moment of hesitation he picks up a section of the paper that Gibbs is reading. Gibbs reaches under the table and picks up a bag. He shoves it towards McGee who opens it curiously. "You pick first." Gibbs grunts as he eyes the assortment of filled bagels. He picks on with cream cheese and ham and places the bag in the middle of the table, trying to focus on his paper.

Tim tries to figure out what he is going to say as he stares mindlessly at the paper, his eyes skimming over the letters. He had surprised himself last evening when he had vocalized the thing that he had been thinking for a long time. Abby wasn't going to change just for him, he knew tha,t but he also knew that he had to do something.

He clears his throat and he puts the paper down. "I assume you would like an explanation boss?" he asks and he hates his voice for cracking. "Nah." Gibbs says, but he puts down his paper anyway. Gibbs eyes stare at him, but it isn't the icy stare he hates so much, his eyes are curious and full of interest.

"I love Abby boss." he sighs as he states what they both know. "But she isn't going to fall in love with me again and she isn't going to change. She is always there, hugging me, standing close to me and I know that it is her way of doing things but honestly? It is killing me."

Gibbs' eyes are kind. Something McGee rarely sees and he relishes the moment for a second. "I love working for you more than anything in the world boss, but this is unbearable." He focuses his eyes on a small dent in the table, avoiding Gibbs' eyes for all he's worth.

"Tim." Gibbs starts and McGee is surprised by the use of his first name. His eyes seek out Gibbs' and he sees some compassion, but also a hint of sadness. "You are a damn fine agent and I would hate to see you go. You are the first one I trained that will become director eventually." he says and McGee feels himself flush under all the praise. "I've also seen what Abby does to you and if you think that this is the best solution then I am not the person to stop you." Gibbs picks up his paper again, effectively dismissing McGee who finishes his bagel and mumbles an excuse before he walks out of the door. Unaware of Gibbs' eyes on his back.

Once he is home he takes a long hot shower and changes into some casual jeans and a green t-shirt that says 'I'm with genius.' and an arrow that points up. It had been a present from Tony and he wouldn't wear it in public but he wore it at home because he had been flattered. He walks through his apartment and he wonder what to do. For a second he wishes that Jethro was at his place instead of his parents place but he smacks himself mentally, his small apartment was no place for a German Shepherd to live, and he had seen how much his parents enjoyed having a dog.

He decides to clean his apartment that day and Sunday, tomorrow, he would drive up to his parents, see how Jethro was doing and talk to his parents about the fact that he was going to move.

Tim loves the smell of cleaning. Erasing all the old dirt, leaving behind shiny clean surfaces. Rearranging his books in alphabetical order and washing all his plates, glasses and cutlery one extra time. Many found it obsessive, but it was almost a therapeutic act for McGee and he felt a lot better when he was done that evening. He showered again and wondered if he should play Strike Force Command or read a book. The choice was made for him when Tony appears on his doorstep half an hour later with pizza and a movie.

"Hey Probie." he says as he walks in, kicking his shoes off in the process. "I came to see how you were doing, brought pizza, movie, and I am also planning on hearing everything about your date."

He doesn't stop moving while he is talking and when is done talking, he is standing in McGee's kitchen, slicing the pizzas and grabbing a pair of plates. "Seriously, how could you not tell me that you had a date with Nancy, I had to hear it from Rob, the night janitor!" he exclaims as he flops down on the couch. "Oh gee," Tim snarks "Could it be because I like the idea of a personal life?"

He pops the dvd in his dvd player and flops next to Tony on the couch, he settles back after he grabs a slice of pizza. It is Men in Black and even though he knows this movie inside out he doesn't complain. Halfway through the movie Tony presses the pause button and moves to face Tim.

"You look like crap." he says. "Not, I had an accident crap, but more something personal crap." Tim is about to opens his mouth, but he realizes that Tony would see right through any lame excuses so he closes it again. "Yeah." he says before returning his attention to the tv-screen, his mind willing to start the movie again.

Tony on the other hand, has different plans and doesn't move. "You know that I care about you right?" he asks and looks surprisingly vulnerable. "I might give you a lot of crap, but at the end of the day you are my best friend." and his eyes, it are the eyes that get Tim. Tony's green eyes show hurt, hurt about the fact that he doesn't trust Tony enough to share his problems. Tim can't help himself and he tells Tony everything, how he has been in love with Abby since forever and how he had been at Gibbs' last night.

Tony lets himself fall back and for a moment the creak of the soft black leather is the only thing that breaks the heavy silence. "Wow Probie." he says. "Re-assigned as in cybercrimes or agent afloat?" Tim chuckles, "Me, on a big boat?" he says with a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I'm going to talk to Vance tomorrow, but I prefer getting out of DC."

Tony stays silent for a few seconds before turning to the tv and pressing play again. Tim isn't stupid and doesn't force any more conversation. He knows that Tony doesn't take change as well as he pretends he does and suddenly he is happy that he told him. Neither of them talk during the rest of the movie and Tony silently packs his stuff and leaves. "I am sorry." Tim offers. "Yeah buddy, so am I." is the response he gets. It makes him feel worse than he cares to admit.

When he steps in the office Monday morning technically nothing has change, but if he is honest it feels like everything has. The walls seem a sharper shade of orange and people all talk to him. He went straight up to Vance's office, he knew that he was a favorite and could come in right away.

"Morning Agent McGee, anything I can do for you today?" Vance asked with a smile on his face, a sight that his teammates rarely got to see. "I want to request a transfer." he said matter-of-factly. "A personal situation has been getting in the way of my job and I want to be able to perform at the top of my abilities." It was painfully obvious that he had memorized those words but Vance didn't comment on that. "Are you sure?" he asked and when he nodded he asked something else, something that made Tim smirk. "Does Gibbs know? Because I am not telling him." "He already knows." McGee answers.

Vance sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I will have to look around and find a place that will suit you and your abilities. Do you have any preferences?" he asked. "Anything as long as it isn't agent afloat." he answers truthfully. That moment Vance's phone rings and it is obviously important and McGee understands that he is silently dismissed.

There are no active cases for the rest of the day and everyone uses their time to catch up on some paperwork. McGee watches his phone very closely but it doesn't ring. He is slightly disappointed when he goes home that evening.

When he comes in the next morning there is a note on his desk, 'come by', it says and it is signed by Vance. He runs up the stairs, not realizing that he is still wearing his jacket. He knocks on the door and when Vance answers he stumbles in, coming over like an over eager puppy.

"Agent McGee" Vance greets him while he motions for him to sit down in the chair opposite the conference table. "I did some research after our conversation yesterday and I have two offers for you." he says. "The first position is the one of team leader in San Diego, you won't be leading the MCRT but you will lead your own investigative team." He hands one file over to Tim. "The other position" he says as he lifts the second file he has been holding "is the one of location leader of the Camp Lejeune field office." Vance hands him the other file and stands up. "If it had been up to me I would have send you to Camp Lejeune" he said. "But Gibbs told me that you love field work and he said that I had to give you a choice, so here you go. You have until the end of the week to decide." Vance walks over to his desk and starts his computer. McGee, who is too stunned to move, eyes the closed files suspiciously. "That's it, Agent McGee." Vance says and he somehow manages to walk to his own desk where he sits for several more minutes before realizing that Gibbs is talking to him.

A dead Captain requires his attention and he stuffs the files in his desk. They have to wait until later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their case turns out to be a suicide and when they close the case 36 hours later McGee is ready to drop. He only remembers the files because he accidentally opens the wrong drawer as he tries to get his gun. He stuffs them in his backpack as he drives home. He undresses as quickly as possible before falling asleep so fast that he doesn't get the change to crawl under the sheets.

But when he wakes up the next morning he feels good, he feels refreshed and when he stumbles in to his kitchen he sees his back pack on the kitchen table with the files falling out. He makes his breakfast and decides to read the files while eating his breakfast. Both of the files contain the basics of the job, and the more he reads the harder it becomes to decide. Office leader sounds great, responsibilities and he would love to use his brain in that way but on the other side, he loves fieldwork. It is the thing that made him work so hard and he loves his place on Gibbs team. Suddenly he realizes that he is about to give it all up. His team, which is basically his family, his apartment and the fact that he lives close to his parents.

He closes his eyes and rests his head on the table, how did he end up in such a mess?

-

He was distracted the entire day and Gibbs seemed to know, he let him play with that new date system while he tried to forget that he had to tell Vance the next day where he wanted to go. It wasn't a surprise to anyone that he ended up in Gibbs' basement again that night. He talked with Gibbs about his options and the man gave him his honest opinion and not even McGee had heard Gibbs talk so much. But when he left that evening he felt confident about his choice and that was one less burden.

He took some extra time the next morning to prepare himself for the day. First he went up to Vance's office. "San Diego." he said simply while handing the other file back. Tim could tell from his face that it wasn't Vance's favorite option but it was his choice so he had to do with it.

"Good" Vance said, "Next week will be your last week at this office, after that you have a week off to find a new place to life and move. The Monday after that you have a meeting with the office leader which will be followed by your first day in your new position." Tim turned around but hesitated at the door. "Thank you director." he said "for believing in me." and with that he closed the door behind him.

Down in the squad room again he told Ziva, Tony and Gibbs about his promotion and even though he knew they were happy for him he saw the sadness in their eyes.

After that conversation he went to the lab. He didn't want Abby to find out from anyone else and he figured that he owed her at least that much.

"Hey Abs." he said as he turned her music down. "There is something I need to tell you and I want you to sit down." Stunned by his force she sunk down in her chair, afraid of the conversation to come. "I will lead my own team in two weeks..." he told her, deciding that he wasn't going to beat about the bush "... in San Diego." Her face froze and her breath hitched in her throat.

"No Timmy!" she cried as she wrapped herself around him, silently sobbing. Focused on her own grief she didn't ask him why he was going and he was grateful for that. He held her until her eyes were red and her mascara on her cheeks. "I will be around for one more week." he assured her with a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the lab, a place that once used to be his safe heaven.  
He stepped into the elevator to go down to Autopsy but he slammed the emergency switch as soon as the cart started moving. He sank down in the corner, his arms around his knees as he held himself, seeing Abby so heartbroken had almost broken his own heart. For a second there he had wondered if that was really the right decision but deep in his heart he knew. Gathering up strength he stood up again and continued his journey to the lowest levels of the building.

Telling the medical examiner wouldn't be easy. Tim had told the man more secrets over a cup of tea than he had with any other co-worker. The man was easy to talk to and a good friend, not someone he was willing to lose. So over one of his last cups of tea with Ducky he told his old friend that he was about to move to the other side of the country. It didn't come as surprise that Ducky already suspected something. He was a lot more observant than you would expect from a person that talked so much. He had no idea how to end the conversation that the man kept going so after 3 cups of tea he said his goodbye and left.

When he came back in the squad room he realized that there had been a lot of scuttlebutt. People came up to him to congratulate him with his promotion. He happily accepted every single one of them but he kept finding it strange that he still wasn't really happy.

The next week was not really busy work wise and that was a good thing. McGee was busy informing his friends, packing up his stuff and arranging temporarily storage. He booked himself a few weeks in a motel and he was utterly spent by the time Friday came around.

A surprise goodbye party in Autopsy that afternoon was not really a surprise but still appreciated. His eyes wandered over the crowd of people and he wondered once again why exactly he was going to leave, but when he saw Abby he remembered again. She had brought a date and the boy clearly adored her. He couldn't be older than 30 and Tim could barely repress the urge to kick him out of the room.

People came up to him, saying heartfelt goodbyes, wishing him goodbye and some gave him a house warming present for his new house. At the end of the day he was standing in Autopsy with only his best friends left. He wanted to tell them that he didn't want to leave, that he felt he was going to die there all alone but instead he told everyone personally how much he was going to miss them. Tony's eyes where suspiciously wet when they hugged and Ziva's emotionless face was proof enough for Tim.

"I like to think that you made me the man I am today." Tim said as he shook Gibbs hand, unable to repress a chuckle when Tony yelled: "Don't blame him!"

When he was finally done he didn't even bother to hide his tears anymore. He picked up the box with his gifts and belongings from the table at the door and walked over to the elevator. When he turned around and saw his friends standing there he realized that everyone's worst fear had just become truth once more. One person of their little family was ripped away from them and the worst part was that he deliberately made that choice. He prayed that someday they would be able to forgive him for that.

-

When he cleaned out his apartment he felt stupid. He had rented the apartment while thinking about the future, it was a big green neighborhood and the apartment had 3 bedrooms. If he was honest he could picture himself sitting on the couch, playing with his children while Abby would sit next to him. Silly, he knew, and now he was paying a high price for that.

He knew that in San Diego he would get another big apartment, his new position paid him a bit more and he didn´t ever want to be as cramped anymore as he had been in Silver Springs.

His arrival in his new hometown was horrible. He felt lonely walking through the airport´s arrival hall with no one there to pick him up. He gathered his bag and ordered a taxi to his motel. He checks in and it feels like he is on the other side of the world instead of the other side of the country. The weather is sunny and everything looks great, his room is not that crappy and the assortment of fresh fruit on the small table looks great, but it doesn´t do anything to hide the feeling that he just done the most stupid thing in the world.

Tim sits down on his bed and let the tears fall free. He cries for what feels like hours but in the end it does make him feel better and finally he feels good enough to get up again. He takes his shoes off and enjoys the feeling of carpet on his feet. He sees the sun setting behind the houses and realizes that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of his life. He has an appointment with a broker in the morning and she is going to help him find an apartment. McGee wonders for a few seconds if he should check his email but he decides against it. He takes a quick shower and sits back on his bed after turning the television on; zapping through the channels without really seeing what is on. He decides on the sci fi channel and watches peoples fighting aliens. It´s ridiculous and fake but it´s a distraction and that is what he needs.

He falls asleep during some big alien battle and he finds just enough muscle strength to turn the television off when he wakes up briefly in his sleep. The next morning he wakes up refreshed and happy to go on with his life for a few seconds before everything comes rushing back to him and the first few seconds he has trouble breathing. He dresses himself and makes his way over to the small restaurant, heading for some breakfast. He ignores the other people in the restaurant because he isn´t in the mood for small talk.

He takes a taxi to a car rental company and hires the cheapest car they have. Buying his own car is low on his list of priorities and a rental will do for the time being. The weather is nice and he drives trough the suburbs, trying to avoid mothers who were bringing their children to school. His appointment is with Elly and he has decided to meet her at the first apartment. The first building is a renovated building, probably a hundred years old. It is separated in two apartments and the apartment on the ground and first level is up for rent. It has a small garden he notices, and lots of parking space. Elly comes running in a few minutes later in her casual but yet fit for work suit. Brown cotton with a dark pink top, the clothes match her brown curling hair and bright smile. Short introductions are made and then they step inside. The apartment is nice but there is too much steel and little walls and he feels as if he is in a house of the future so he is pretty sure that this house isn´t what he is looking for.

They visit three more houses the rest of that hour and none of them meets his requirements. Elly is ever so patient but gently points out that he is renting and not buying, it doesn´t make a difference. He has to live there and he isn´t planning on moving again anytime soon.

The fifth apartment isn't anywhere near the first four, it is on the other side of town, an older side, McGee realizes. There are dozens of small streets filled with little shops and people all seemed to know each other. They park their cars in a parking garage and after a 5 minute walk they are in the center of the old town. They end up in front of a big green door and Elly opens the door with one of her keys. The first room is the central hall, it is big enough to contain a few people but with the tilled walls and floor nothing special.

They go up the stairs and stop at the first door on the right. '4' a tacky golden number says and Elly opens the door. They stand in what currently appears to be a utility room. It seems small and cramped and he doesn't waste any time as he quickly opens the door to the next room. He finds himself standing in a large kitchen that appears to be very light. The cabinets are painted in a light friendly yellow to match the brighter yellow countertops. Everything is finished off with white and some chrome details. One side of the room contains a small dinner table with two chairs, behind the table was a small breakfast bar, the room felt pleasant and he could see himself eating his dinosaur cereal at the breakfast bar.

On his right was a small arch that led to another bright room. As he looked to the left he saw that almost the entire wall was covered with windows which looked out on some sort of marketplace. It had some grass, flowers and benches and one big tree in the middle. The room itself was spacious and contained one more door than the door to the kitchen. He opened the door and stepped in to a small hallway that contained 3 more doors. One led to a small but comfortable bathroom, a big bedroom and a smaller bedroom. He looks around but he knows that his decision is already made.

_ 


	3. Chapter 3

From the author: Some big time leaps here!  
Chapter 3.

Tim signed the lease that afternoon and took his new house key to the motel. He sat on his bed and played a little with it before putting it in his wallet. He organizes his mind in an attempt to figure out what he should do next. He realizes that he should focus on organizing his home first. He grabs his laptop and checks his email. He has a long e-mail from Abby which he ignores, there is a short one from Gibbs, asking him where he left that damn Jackson file. The last one is from Tony, apologizing for Gibbs' mail, asking him how things are going and a threat that if he doesn't send over his new address that Gibbs will hunt him down. Tim smiles and ignores the tight feeling in his chest. He opens a new message and addresses it to Tony and Gibbs. He reminds Gibbs that the Jackson-file is with Vance at the moment and he tells them shortly about his new house. After that he contacts the storage company that he would like his things delivered to him on Thursday, that would give him two days to paint and three days to settle in.

Tim changes into something less formal and heads out, walks down the street and fifteen minutes later he finds a nice restaurant. The staff seems to be friendly and when he is served half an hour later he is thrilled to find out that the food is excellent. The flirting with the waitress comes easy and even though it doesn't feel too comfortable it makes him feel better. There is scribbling on the bill and he recognizes it as a phone-number. He flushes and is surprised to hear her giggle.

There is a skip in his step when he makes his way back and is surprised to find an e-mail from Ziva. She wishes him all the best and tells about how something has happened in Israel with her family and that she has to get back for an uncertain amount of time, he shouldn't be worried when she didn't answer his emails. He smiles and curiously opens the photo that is attached to the file. It shows Tony giggling and some agent super glued to his keyboard. He thinks back about the time that it would have been him and for the first time he is happy about leaving, even if it is just a little bit.

As he yawns he realizes that it is later that he thought it would be and he quickly changes in to his pj's before slipping on the comforter and falling asleep.

-

Back in DC.

Gibbs ignores the silence in the usually non-silent lab as he walks in. He ignores the photo of the man with the big friendly eyes that used to be his junior agets. He gets agitated when he sees the number one beneath the photo.

"You have to do something to get him back Gibbs!" Abby whines as she walks towards him. "Did he leave because of Tony's idiocy? Because you could do something about that." Abby goes on but Gibbs ignores her, tuning her voice out and holding her close. He feels the need to tell her that it was actually her that drove him away, but he can't. She finally runs out of steam and Gibbs pushes her back.

"Ziva is in Israel and Tony and I are leaving town for a few days." Gibbs says as he hands her a Caf-Pow. He walks out of the room before her big eyes demand he tell her more. Besides, the plan is all set and he has already cleared it with Vance. He walks up to his desk again and gets confirmation from Tony that McGee has replied at the e-mail. He smirks as he grabs his gun and badge and turned off his computer and he saw Tony do the same from the corner of his eyes. He felt a little bit better about everything by the time that he drove off the navy yard.

-

Tim woke up with a start as he remembered his new apartment. He whistles as he showers, changes in to some old clothes and works trough his crappy breakfast. He gets his rental car and drives to his house, only getting lost once. He rubs his eyes as he sees two familiar figures sitting outside the building, drinking coffee and a bag with what is probably a couple of donuts.

"Boss?" he stammers "Tony?" and Tony laughs out loud. "We came over to help." Gibbs says as he stands up and cleans his hands on the side of his pants. "It is not like you are the best with handiwork." Tony says as he claps McGee's shoulder. "Show us your new geek-hide-out!"

They work the entire day and soon the rooms have more color and a few rooms have a wooden floor. He smiles and during the day he has to convince himself a few times that those man, his friends, are really there. They go to dinner as his treat and as he goes back to his motel he has the biggest grin on his face.

His friends stay the entire week and before Friday is over he is all set. Tony and Gibbs have to leave and it leaves a bit of a black hole inside of him "We are always just a phone-call away." Tony says as he hugs McGee. "Don't hesitate." Gibbs says and his eyes show a flash of love, compassion and a hint of regret. He drives them to the airport and waves from the gate, even though he knows that they can't see him.

He drives home and realizes that while he drives that he is going to his new home. The rest of the day he decides to buy groceries and get to know his neighbors. There is a big shop nearby and he only needs three trips to get his cabinets stocked. He enjoys filling everything to the top, stacked in neat lines and organized just as he likes it. He turns up the radio and hums along with the song that sounds vaguely familiar. He is about to fold the last of the towels away when there is a knock at his door.

The mirror in the hallways allows him to quickly check his appearance before he opens the door. There is a woman standing on the other side of the door, a few inches shorter than him, hair that is so dark brown that it borders on black. She has a pair of bright blue eyes and her mouth is curved up in a friendly smile.

"H..hey." he manages to stammer out and he hears Tony in the back of his head. "Nice going there Probie."

"Heya." she answers back. "I am Rachel, my apartment is right there." she says pointing towards the door at the other side of the hallway. "I noticed you moving in this week and I thought I'd come over to welcome you." They stand there for a few awkward moments before she handed him a bottle of wine. "There you go, present." she said and the awkward moments continues. "Wanna come in for a talk?" he says as he opens the door a little further.

One month later

McGee couldn't be happier when he drove home today, he loved his shiny Cadillac Eldorado and his new team couldn't be better. He has had some trouble in the first weeks with actual leading the team but he liked to think that he was doing just fine. Tonight he was going with Rachel to a concert and then his new book was coming along nicely. He had hesitated about continuing his LJ Tibbs series but he found himself craving some sort of connection to the people that once used to be his team.

He parks his car and walks the last few minutes to his house. He stops dead in his tracks as he hears a familiar shriek and sees a black blur running towards him, accompanied by the heavy thud of combat-boots. Abby wraps himself in a hug and for a moment his heart stops.

"Timmy." Abby sighs happily and he hesitantly returns the hug. "We need to talk." she says as she holds him at arms length. He closes his eyes and wishes the entire situation to go away, but it doesn't. Her fingers are digging in to his arms and the ever present smell of gunpowder lingers in his nose. "Let's go inside." he sighs.

She keeps up conversation all the way to his living room. She was ecstatic about the place and clung to him while he made her a drink. By the time they sat down to talk he was already emotionally drained.

"Why are you here?" he asks her as he cut her off, mid-rant. She hesitates for a few moments and goes uncharacteristically quiet.

"I wanted to make sure that you are okay." she starts. "I miss you and even though the replacement guy they have for you is fine, he is not you. I miss you in my lab and I want to have you back." He leans forward and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I can't go back." he says, and he knows that he has to tell her more, but he can't, not until she specifically asks him.

"Why not?" she says and suddenly everything he has been dreading to tell her isn't such a big problem anymore.

"Because I love you Abby, I have loved you since the moment I wandered in to your lab as a lost puppy, and I don't know if I will ever stop loving you and seeing you with all those other people, and having you talk about them? I was breaking my heart every new day all over again. I wanted to tell you, they don't love you like I do, but I couldn't because you would make fun of me."

Abby is hurt, the emotion pours out of her body and Tim figures that she has every right to be.

"You can come back" she finally says after a few minutes. "We can make things work between us. We can" she stresses "if you really want." There is desperation in her eyes but he has to tell her that even though she lost her best friend, he lost so much more. He lost the love of his life.

"This is not about you!" he exclaims with his hands in the air as he stand up, pacing around. "I was a wreck because the only thing that I could think of was you, I was obsessed with you. I didn't want to move to San Diego, but honestly, it was my only chance of saving myself."

She walks towards him and her arms are wide open. There is nothing more he wants to do than returning that hug, holding her close and pretend again for another second that he is in fact in a relationship with her, but he can't.

"I need you to leave now." he said before he walks away, locking himself in to the bedroom. He sat against the door and felt his heart breaking with every one of her sobs. Half an hour later she leaves and sending her away is the hardest thing he is ever done. He barely makes it to the bed before he starts crying. He curls up in foetal position and for a few minutes the pain in his chest is so tight he isn't sure he is going to survive. But the pain subsides eventually and leaves him with this hollow feeling. He is vaguely aware that he should text Rachel telling her to cancel their plans but he doesn't have the energy to do anything other than breathe.

Time goes by but he has no clue how much time has passed but he is aware of someone opening the door to his bedroom. The sheets are lifted and a warm body presses up against him. It is an unfamiliar smell but the touch comforts him it is like an anchor that keeps him grounded, keeps him safe.

He wakes up the next morning and his bed is empty. He wonders for a second if the other person had been in his dreams but then he sees a note on his nightstand.

"Tim, I checked why you didn't show up for our concert, the door was open, I found you in your bed. You seemed pretty out of it but I left you once I know you where asleep. Please let me know how you are doing once you wake up. X Rachel."

His alarm-clock tells him that it is 6 in the morning and that is too early to hop over to Rachel's place. He takes a shower and dresses himself, getting ready for work and hoping that the ever present throbbing of emotional pain in his chest would subside. His team noticed the mood he was in, he was sure of it but he was thankful they didn't comment on it. He e-mails Rachel and invites her to dinner that night, to explain what has happened and he hopes that sharing it will at least make it easier. She is happy to go out with him that night and surprisingly he is actually able to focus on his job for the rest of the day.

One year, four months, two weeks and a day later.

The news itself wasn't a shocker. Let's be honest here, even though nobody knew his exact age, he wasn't young anymore. But still, he felt sad to hear about Gibbs retirement. He had e-mailed with Tony and Ziva over the last couple of months but none of them had mentioned it. Now he was looking at the official invitation to the farewell-ceremony of special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

He gave Cynthia a call, let her know that he was coming and assigned his team enough cold cases to keep them busy while he was away. He dreaded going back to DC. It had been a year and a half and he had created a new social life for himself I San Diego and going back to DC had never been in the initial plan. He gathered up his nerve and invited Rachel to come along with him. He hoped that it would make things easier and he knew that his old friends would like her.

Driving through DC again was a strange experience. It felt that he had lived there, another life time ago. As if two different lifetimes were only separated by a five hour flight, and he was screwing up the universe by mixing those lifetimes.

Gibbs' farewell was the next day but since they had plenty of time left they decided to visit NCIS. Tim wasn't sure at first but Rachel really wanted to see it and he figured that it couldn't do much damage. He had free access since he was still an NCIS agent but Rachel had to come in as a visitor. Once all that was finished he took her straight up to the bullpen, eager to see family again. He hoped that they where there but once the elevator doors opened he saw them and his heart jumped up. He walks a little faster as he walks over to the desks, everyone seems engaged in their work and McGee can't help but sneak up to Tony. He gives the man a head slap and chuckles as Tony shoots up.

"Working Boss!" he yelps before he realizes that Gibbs is in fact still at his desk. The grin on his face says enough as he realizes that it is McGee. "See you got one leadership skill down." He grins happily as he pulls him in a hug. "Good to see you man!" he says before handing McGee over to Ziva and eventually Gibbs who doesn't hug him but shakes his hand in a very friendly manner.

"The party isn't until tomorrow Tim, why are you here?" Ziva asks as her former teammate makes introductions to his replacement. "Well, we..." he starts before realizing that Rachel is still standing there. He motions her over and grabs her hand. "This is Rachel." he says. "My girl, and Tony if you even look at her funny I will hurt you." he says, laughing. Tony acts hurt because he would never take a girl from McGee and it breaks the ice. They talk for a good fifteen minutes but Gibbs ushers them back to work.

Tim visits Ducky and Palmer and some other friends, he is happy to see them all but he knows that he has to visit Abby, a visit he has been dreading ever since he got on the plane. He walks into the lab and is slightly surprised. The Abby he once knew seems to be gone, instead there is a blond girl, wearing jeans, a normal t-shirt and a lab coat. The only thing that is giving her away is the music and the dedication to her work.

"Abs?" he asks, still not sure if it is really her. "Tim?" she replies before she walks towards him and gives him a hug. She is different in every possible way but in her eyes still sparkles that eccentric woman she once was. "This is Rachel" he says. "We came over for tomorrow and we are just saying hello." Abby shakes hand with Rachel and the awkwardness is so thick in the air that McGee quickly makes an excuse and leaves.

Nine months and three week later:

"Do you, Timothy McGee, take Rachel Trellut as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

One year and eleven months later.

"Damn Tim! You said this wouldn't happen again."

"I can't promise that, you know that as well as I do, I am deputy director of a federal agency, that is what happens, that is what my job requires. You said that I should push for the position but now that I have it you only complain about it!"

She slams the door behind her as she walks out of the house, it isn't the first time that they had this argument and he is pretty sure that it wouldn't be the last time. This situation is killing him and as good as he is with conflicts at work, he is the worst with them when it comes to his personal life.

Five months and four weeks later

"I still love you, but this marriage, it doesn't work. I would rather divorce you and stay friends with you than ending up hating each other forever."

She cries silently as he takes her in his arms. There is nothing he can do or say right now to make it better, because well, let's face it. He always screws up relationships.

He was physically sick for a week after he signs the divorce papers.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
He packed his clothes and some of his personal belongings; he wouldn't have space for the rest in his hotel room anyway. At work he basically locks himself in his office and works more hours a week than he sleeps. His secretary expresses her concern more than once but after a few days she simply gives up. Tim isn't stupid and after three weeks he knows that he is on the edge of a breakdown. His chair makes a small shrieking noise as he leans back and he closes his eyes to rethink the situation.

His door flies open and he is about to give the intruder an earful as he notices that it is the SECNAV. Tim stands up so fast that he almost falls over. "Welcome sir!" he said as he tried to stand up as fast as he could, almost toppling over and falling face first on his desk. "We need you right away in DC Agent McGee, Marines are getting your belongings from the hotel-room as we speak. I will debrief you in my personal plane."

Tim ran to keep up with the older man who was already walking towards a parked car. In his hasty retreat he had grabbed some things he thought he might need from his desk. When he finally sat in the car SECNAV was on the phone and Tim caught some words like, security breach, terrorist attack, funeral, and hospital.

It wasn't until the plane was setting off that the phone was finally turned off and McGee was about to find out what was happening.

"Director Vance has been 'killed'; he has been shot while driving home. For the time being he is barely alive. Agent DiNozzo is currently investigating it but we think that it was a terrorist attack. If we pretend that Leon really died we have an advance, the natural course of action is to install you as acting director of the agency."

Tim blinks his eyes and wonders if this is really happening. But the serious face opposite of him says enough.

"You will be briefed completely as soon as you arrive at your new office; I have arranged a place for you to stay. In the meantime, read up on some of this stuff." he says while handing Tim a big stack of files. "This is what Vance has been doing for the past weeks; you will take over all of his duties, so good luck."

Tim sighs as he grabs the first file of the stack. It's a good thing that he has at least something to do while flying to the other side of his country again.

It turns out that Tony was waiting for him at the airport and he was happy to see that it was him, not some weird guard. He knew about Tim's divorce but he didn't waste any time about it. He quickly brought Tim up to speed about his investigation and as it turned out, he didn't have much yet. McGee looked aside and was surprised to see grey strikes in his friend's hair.

"Comes with the job." Tony says. "Gibbs has been senior agent for many years, see how grey he is."

"How is he, by the way?" McGee asks "I have been trying to call him on his home phone and cell; I even tried sending an e-mail but no responses so far."

"E-mail?" Tony chuckles. "Last thing I have heard the man took one of his sailboats and is somewhere on this planet. I expect him to check in with me some day though, the man always had a pretty good gut feeling and he cares more about Vance that he is willing to admit."

Being with Tony, falling in their familiar banter makes him feel better than he has in a long time. They arrive at the navy yard and Tim feels weird, going to level four instead of three and the fact that the big desk is now his scares him more than he is willing to admit. He sits in the chair behind the desk for seven minutes and thirty three seconds before he realizes that he needs to do something. He reasoned with himself for several seconds before realizing that he should gather all the people to do some sort of a speech.

He sends a quick message to all personal that he expects them all in the conference room in an hour. He takes the stairs down to autopsy to say hello to Ducky but much to his surprise he finds Palmer conducting the autopsy.

"Didn't you hear?" Jimmy asks, surprised. "I finished med-school and they hired me as the new medical examiner, Dr. Mallard only comes in to consult on cases, he didn't want a goodbye party, in fact, he left rather quietly."

Tim is quiet for a minute before stepping towards Jimmy. "Well, I guess that my congratulations are in order in that case Dr. Palmer." They shake hands and suddenly Tim realizes that he has been gone for five years and that makes all the difference in the world. "I'll see you in an hour in the conference room." McGee says before he walks away, wondering what other changes he will find.

He takes the stairs to the next level and walks in to Abby's lab. The music is softer and there is a strange man standing at the evidence table. "Hello" he says and the man jumps up, he looks very young and Tim suspects that he can't be older than twenty five. "Miss Sciuto is away for the moment sir." the man stutters. "Can I leave a message for you?" McGee shakes his head and walks over to the elevator, only to bump in to Abby herself. The blond hair is gone and replaced by some deep brown color, but she still has the same sparkly green eyes and he wraps her in a hug.

"Tim!" she exclaims, "You are our new director?" She seems happy to see him without her usually hyperactive energy and that is a good thing. "Yes" he says "temporarily." he adds for good measure because he isn't sure if he is ready for that to become permanent just yet. "I just came from you lab and there is a man." he says and is utterly surprised as Abby chuckles. "Yeah, that is Chuck. He is my assistant, I know that I never wanted one, but I am closer to fifty than to forty now and I can't pull all-nighters anymore. So now I have this shiny assistant, he is really fun to work with and he kicks ass at science." Tim wonders for a few minutes about this new revelation before he notices that she is walking towards her lab. "See you in the conference room!" she yells as she walks through the door.

As McGee walks through the building he wonders what happened to the place that was once so familiar to him. People had gotten older, older people had been replaced by young people and he wondered if he himself was one of the older people now. Forty wasn't really that old, forty-one wasn't that old but it wasn't an age that everyone in his branch reached. He wandered the halls and couldn't help but feel a little lost.

As suspected most of the people were in the conference room an hour later. A prepared speech would have been nice, but with everything else going on it had slipped his mind. His first act as a director was going to be looking really bad in front of the entire agency. He stepped in front of the crowd and watched as everyone fell silent and looked at him full of hope.

"I left this place a few years ago." he started hesitantly. "Trained by the best, I went away but I didn't have any idea that I would make it to deputy director within five years. Standing here today I realize that I don't have to do it alone. There is n brilliant group of people here to back me up and the more I see you people the more I realize that it is something I can do."

He took a deep breath and scanned the crowd. So far no one was laughing at him, that was a good sign.

"I know that things have changed after the recent events but the agency's best team is on the case and I am fairly confident that they will figure it out. As for other things, I know we are on temporarily lock down but please continue with your duties as much as possible, if nothing else, do some paperwork!"

A laugh went through the crowd and some people did some fake mocking and Tim felt instantly better.

"I recognize a lot of faces, but there are even more I don't know. If I come by in the next day or so, it is not to check up on you, I just make it a point to get to know all my personnel. I want to thank everyone for showing up and I hope that we can continue to keep up or high standards."

Tim's eyes scanned the leaving crowd and for a second he could have sworn that he saw a man with silver hair standing in the back. Walking back to his office he straightens his back to look bigger and he tried to have a certain air of leadership with him. Tony gave him thumbs up from Gibbs' old desk and he smiled back at him.

After he closed the door of his office he rested his head against the door frame, desperately trying to figure out what he was trying to do next while trying to keep calm at the same time.

"Not bad director." he heard in a very familiar voice and he jumped up. "Boss!" he said as he jumped to attention. Then they both chuckled. "Gibbs." he corrected himself. "Bullied your way in?" he asked as he took a closer look at the man standing in the corner of his office. The silver hair was unchanged but his skin looked tanner and Gibbs looked happier that Tim has even seen him. When it became clear that that Gibbs wasn't going to answer him he continued. "You look good." Tim said, still trying to start a conversation. Gibbs chuckled and also ignored that comment. "I always knew that you would be director one day." he said. "But not in five years, you continue to surprise me Tim." said director walked over to his desk and sat down. "As good as it is catching up to you, what are you doing here? As far as I know you are retired and you know that I can't give you any intel on what is going on."

Tim showed some of his backbone and gave Gibbs as good as he got, showing that now he was director he wouldn't let Gibbs walk over him, as he did years ago. Gibbs grinned and walks over to the desk. "atta boy." he says as he sits down opposite of Tim. "I heard the news of the shooting and I came to offer my experience. Vance is a damn good director and I think that I should acknowledge that." Tim leans back in his chair, silently enjoying the power he has over his former boss. "Tony is the lead-agent on the case; you can't just barge in and take over. If I assign you as consultant Tony will still be the lead agent and you do everything he says." Tim's eyes lit up as he realized what he just said. "Well, everything within reason." he says and Gibbs smiles again.

"As long as Tony agrees I take that deal." Gibbs says and they wait until Tony comes walking in after Tim gave him a call. Tony wasn't the least bit surprised to see Gibbs and Tim expected that 'contact' in the agency was Tony, but for now that was good enough.

Tony happily accepted Gibbs offer and together they went out to get some coffee.

Tim crashes Tony's guestroom instead of the hotel that is already booked for him and the next few days he buries himself in his work. On the third day they get a break trough in Vance's case and Tim smiles as they put the attacker away. It didn't have anything to do with his position as NCIS director, instead it was someone from Vance's boxing days that held a grudge. Tony and Gibbs go to the hospital to tell Gibbs while Tim briefs SECNAV in MTAC. He gets a compliment for running the agency well and then he is cut off.

In his office he finds the one person he is been trying to avoid. "Abby" he says as he walks in "Can I help you with something.?" She tenses and he braces himself because he knows what is coming, he can feel it buzzing in the air and so does she.

"I made a mistake breaking up with you ten years ago, but I have changed, I tried to grow up and act my own age. I want us to date again. "

She was going for blunt, he could do that too.

"You should have thought about that when you said we didn't have a future, when you didn't back off when I asked you to. I got over you once, but I honestly don't think I can do it again." He locked the door for good measure.

"Then don't get over me! You don't have to, we could marry and stay together forever, about a few kids or maybe a dog or something. We can be happy together."

Tim sighed as he closed his eyes. "I barely got over you last time and I don't want to do it again."

"You already said that." she snarked. "It is not as if I asked you to marry me! I just want to go on a date." He knows he is a lost cause as soon as he sees her eyes. He will never be able to resist them. They set a date and he regretted it the moment she walked out of his office.

He drove to Tony's place that night and wasn't surprised to see Gibbs sitting on the couch and drinking beer.

"You have a date with Abby." Tony stated the moment he sat down. Denying was no option so he prepared himself for an intervention. "She really changed after you lift." Gibbs said, tipping his bottle back. "She hardly dates anymore and has really grown up." Tony chips in.

"She used to come by every week." Gibbs says. "She always wondered why she had been so blind and driven you away."

Tim accepts the beer Tony offers him and watches the two men he trusts with his life.

"She really has changed Tim. Every guy she dated was more and more like you and in the end she gave up dating all together, she had been celibate for three years now." Tony whispers. "If you and her don't work out I bet she is going to live with the nuns."

McGee finishes his bear and quickly makes his way too his bedroom, things are confusing enough as it is and he doesn't need more on top of that.

The days fly bye and before he realizes it, Friday has come around. He 'borrows' some of Tony's clothes and he prepares himself quickly for his date before picking Abby up. Surprisingly the evening goes pretty much flawless they talk and discuss several science things and more than once McGee wonders what happened to Abby, but the answer is no surprise, he happened to her.

By the end of the evening he is head over heels in love with this new woman and his heart jumps up in joy as he kisses her goodbye at the door. She doesn't invite him in and he doesn't want to, because this is a new them, it is going to be special.

Tim gets called in to a meeting with the SecNav on his Saturday off, he doesn't want to go but he also knows that he doesn't have a choice. He gets informed that Vance has decided to retire from the agency and if Tim is willing to become the new director. He agrees without realizing and suddenly he is the new director of NCIS, effective immediately. Stunned he phones Tony who is pretty happy to hear the news and after that he drives around aimlessly around the city for a few hours.

Suddenly things had never seemed cleared and he know what he wants and what he needs to do.

-

"Abigail Jennifer Mary Sciuto, we may have been stupid and screwed up a lot of things in the past, but will you please marry me, because I will love you for the rest of your life and more."

It was a little bit of a risk, just showing up on her doorstep, and the old Abby never would have married him, but this was a new Abby and he didn't want to live anymore without her. He held his breath as she considers the proposal.

"I would love to."

Tony appears out of nowhere and congratulates them both. They get pushed inside and Tim finds out that there is a surprise party for his promotion and now apparently also his engagement.

-

Do you, Abigail Jennifer Mary Sciuto take Timothy as your husband?

"I do."

Epilogue.  
"I didn't think this day would ever come." Tim snuffles as he accepts the tiny bundle. They had both know that Abby wasn't as young as she used to be and if they wanted kids it had to be done fast, but now, half a year after their wedding his was holding a boy, his son, their son and he couldn't be happier about it.

"He is perfect." McGee whispered as he kissed his wife for the umpteenth time.

Being married to Abby wasn't the easiest thing in the world; they fought, got mad and threw things at each other, but at the end of the day none of them would sleep alone and there was no hesitation if someone asked them about the choice they made, because it was the right one.

Being the agency's director meant a lot of traveling and horrible hours, but all the hours of loneliness couldn't beat the nights that he slept with his wife in his arms. After eleven long years he was finally home.

~The end!~


End file.
